Bear activity escalates around Lake Tahoe

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - It's that time of year once again, the time when black bears enter hyperphagia, which is also known as the fall-feeding frenzy around Lake Tahoe. Bears consume as much as they can to bring their fat stores to a level where they can survive the quickly approaching winter months. In the fall, an adult bear can consume 20,000 to 24,000 calories a day and can gain multiple pounds per day.

To get these extra calories, bear behaviors change, and the public will see an increase in "break-ins" of homes, vehicles, garbage enclosures, and wherever there is a food source.

Learn more in the video linked below.

Toogee Sielsch of South Lake Tahoe has received numerous calls from area residents about bears breaking windows and getting into their homes.

"Bear break-ins are off the charts all over town," said Toogee. "Numerous bears are involved, mostly moms with cubs."

Donna and Steve Russell, owners of South Shore Glass, are getting about three calls a day from homeowners who need windows replaced after bear break-ins. They have been in business for 51 years and have never seen the window needs like this year. Donna Russell said they get a streak of calls every year, but nothing like what they're seeing now.

Last week, three homeowners walked in at the same time, all carrying in their broken windows. As they waited to be seen, the residents were sharing their bear stories.

The bears are learning to push the whole window frames in, so not just a simple glass fix.

South Shore Glass, just like Toogee, has started waiting lists for services as there is more need than they can keep up with.

To help, Toogee has bought electric bear mats from beariersolutions.com to loan out to residents, and so far this year he's made 22 temporary placements at local homes at the bear entrance point (under the window or at the doorway). The Tahoe company has also donated two mats to help out with Toogee's needs. The bear walks up, steps on the mat, receives a shock, and runs off so it’s a win-win for everyone and keeps your property protected and keeps the bear safe. The shock is a psychological barrier as well as a physical one, scaring the bear with a novel feeling not found in nature. It stings, for sure, but does not harm the bear.

Wild bears can be seen foraging most of the day and night and may travel beyond their normal home range in search of food, according to the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team (TahoeBears.org). The increased drive for food can lead bears to seek easy, calorie-dense meals in residential areas if food, garbage, and recycling are not properly stored. To keep our Tahoe bears wild while they bulk up for the winter, the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team wants to remind residents to stick to BearWise principles by using bear-resistant garbage carts/boxes, removing bird feeders, storing pet food inside, and cleaning grills regularly.

After the fall feeding frenzy, food supplies begin to dwindle, signaling to the bears it is time to find a den for hibernation. In the wild, bears will den beneath rock piles or hollowed trees. However, in the Tahoe Basin, many bears try to make a den under a deck or a crawl space. These insulated and wind-protected urban dens are enticing to bears seeking shelter but come at a big cost to homeowners. Bears wintering under homes often tear down insulation or electrical wires as part of their effort to build a warm nest. They also leave an opening to the den, exposing pipes to freezing temperatures that may burst and cause homeowners significant damage.

“Some insurance companies will pay for damage in a crawl space, but many won’t, so a lot of the burden can fall on the homeowner,” explains Rebecca Carniello, the Urban Wildlife Biologist at the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). To avoid these headaches in the winter season, Carniello recommends securing your crawl space now.

“Fall is the time to secure your crawl space,” she said. “You never think it is going to happen to you and securing your crawl space protects you from unwanted costly damage and encourages bears to seek a more wild den.” NDOW outlines a step-by-step guide on securing your crawl space in the video below.

Some houses that are being broken into don't even have food inside, the bears just associate many homes with a previous tasty smorgasbord.

For more tips and information about what you can do to keep Tahoe bears wild, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Keep Me Wild/Sharing Space Outdoors webpage, TahoeBears.org or BearWise.org.

Use the following phone numbers and online resources to report a bear incident or conflict while camping or visiting the Tahoe Basin:

• In California, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) at 916-358-2917 or report online using CDFW’s Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/

• Non-emergency bear collisions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at 916-358-1300

• In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327)

• If the issue is an emergency, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.

Learn more about the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team at TahoeBears.org.